The use of bone plates for stabilizing fractured bones is widely accepted. The plates are used by surgeons to stabilize, mend, or align a patient's bones as well as alter compression of patient's bones, and are typically fastened to the bones with a plurality of fasteners, such as screws that are installed through holes in the plate.
Prior to fixation of a fracture the surgeon typically may manipulate the bone segments to return them to proper orientation and alignment. To accomplish this, the surgeon may first apply a distraction or separation force to the bone segments, which may cause the surrounding soft tissue to urge the bone segments back toward their general pre-fracture position. The bone segments may then be individually manipulated to achieve a more precise alignment, followed by the application of a compression force to the segments to press them together to increase the likelihood that the bone segments will fuse.
Thus, there is a need for an instrument that may be used to apply a distraction or compression force to fractured bones to aid in their alignment and subsequent re-engagement.